And controlling the rudders oe steam vessels



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK E. SIGKELS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

OPERATING AND CONTROLLING THE RUDDERS OF STEAM VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 9,713, dated May 10, 1853.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. SICKELS, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful mode of operating and holding the rudders of vessels, by which they can be more readily controlled under many of the varying circumstances attending their action, and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making a part thereof, and which represents a perspective view of the vessel and the various parts connected therewith. j

The nature of my invention consists in combining with the steersmans handle and the rudder, an engine so arranged as to move or hold the rudder with and against the force of the propelling engine.

A, is the steersmans handle; B,the engine, shown in section to eXhibit the internal parts; C, the rudder; D, the tiller rope leading ont-o the wheel E. The wheel E, has a .cog wheel F, into which a pinion a, is geared.

The pinion a, is put on the engine shaft J, so as to be moved into and out of gear, by the lever K. The lower end of the lever is forked and clasps over a flange on the pinion at c. M, the beam of the propelling engine.

The steersmans handle A, is connected to the valve motion so that in moving around the pin e, it moves the valves z' and 0, and alternately applies and releases the power, from each of the pistons Q and R, thus causing the engines to move only with a motion corresponding to the motion of the steersmans handle, as each piston Q and R, acts as acheck to the other until the power is applied and released by the steersman.

Now in holding the rudder as shown in the drawing (technically called a starboard the force of the propelling engine while driving the boat through the water, acts upon the rudder against the force of the other engine, thus producing a holding of the rudder by the counteracting forces of the two engines acting in opposition to each other.v But if the rudder is held amidship,

the force of the propelling engine, would act in connection with the other engine, to hold it in that position-thus holding by the engines acting in connection with each other. And if the rudder was held on the larboard side, the engines would-act against each other the same as above described, when held on the starboard side. In moving the rudder from its present starboard7 position (as indicated in the drawings) to amidship, the force of the propelling engine while driving the boat through the water, would act upon the rudder in the same direction as the other engine, thus moving the rudder by acting in conjunction; and if the rudder is moved from amidship to its present position in the drawing, the forces of the two engines would act in opposition to each other upon the rudder during this motion. And in moving the rudder to and from amidship, on the other side, the same action would take place, as before described for a starboard. The operation therefore, of the engines upon the rudder may be briefiy summed up as follows, viz: In holding the rudder amidship, the engines will act in conjunction with each other. In holding the rudder away from amidship, the engines will act in opposition to each other.

In moving the rudder to amidship, the engines will act in conjunction with each other. In moving the rudder away from amidships, the engines will act in opposition to each other.

Having thus fully described the nature of my invention, what I claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Operating and controlling the rudder of a vessel by combining the steersmans handle and the rudder, with an engine so arranged as to move or mold it with and against the force of the propelling engine, substantially as described.

FREDERICK E. SICKELS.

Witnesses:

A. B. SToUGHToN, S. C. DoNN. 

